Matching staff to business demand can be difficult. The Shyft Voluntary Time Off (VTO) feature helps companies adjust staffing in real-time. Managers can easily offer VTO to employees if more people are scheduled than are needed. They no longer need to spend hours making calls to alert employees to VTO opportunities.
VTO also makes it easier for associates to take VTO. Since they can be notified of VTO offers on their personal mobile device, they’re aware before they show up for their shift.
How the Voluntary Time Off Feature Works
Only team members who have been assigned an admin role can post VTO. The steps for posting VTO are similar to posting an open shift. A manager would tap the red action button on the home screen, add the date and time, and select which team members should receive the notice.
Team leaders can target VTO notices by location and to groups. They can also post multiple VTO notices at once if they need several people to take VTO.
The Shyft app then alerts team members to the VTO opportunity with a push notification. Team members can review the details and offer to take the VTO. Shyft would then notify the manager, who can approve or deny the employee’s offer.
Once posted, team members can comment on VTO posts. They can also use filters to customize how VTO is displayed in their shift feed.
VTO is available for iOS and Android mobile devices and on desktop.
Use Cases for VTO
VTO is especially useful for our clients in distribution centers and warehouses. Shipment delivery times can vary. Team leaders can use our VTO feature to efficiently offer VTO when a shipment is late.
In retail stores, VTO can be used to adjust staffing for similar reasons. A manager might increase staff in preparation for shipment delivery. If the shipment is delayed, they can use the VTO feature to ask employees to stay home. Or, store managers might staff up for the holidays or a big sale, only to discover less store traffic than they expected, leading them to offer VTO.
Enable VTO for Your Workforce
How does your company handle voluntary time off? We’d love to discuss how Shyft’s VTO feature could be of use for you. Schedule a demo with us to learn more! If you’re a Shyft Workforce customer, please contact your Customer Success representative to discuss enabling VTO.
